Reply to thread

Its really not flawed at all, you just seem to have a hard time understanding perspective.  Its actually very simple if you manage to look at it from a point of view other than your own. 

If someone plays a game more than they would have otherwise, because they are trying to obtain a trophy, it has added replay value for them.  It doesn't matter if it the same thing didn't apply to you, it did to them, and therefore is perfectly valid and not the least bit flawed.

This may really not make sense to you, but there are people out there for which the score adds no replay value whatsoever.  They are simply playing to "beat the game", unlock the trophies, finish the wizard goals, complete all the modes etc..  They don't care a lick about playing again after they reach that goal.  Their lack of concern for improving their score doesn't in any way invalidate the replay value you derive from trying to improve yours.  The fact that you continue to play the game to improve your score after you have completed those other goals means that high score and leaderboard position has in fact added replay value for you.

You both used Super Mario Bros. as an example and it really is a perfect one.  When that game was new there were many people that only played it until they reached the ending.  Once they reached that goal (or accomplishment by another name <hint>), they considered the game finished and didn't play it anymore.  Then there were other people that kept playing trying to improve their score, or how fast they could finish the game, or collect all the coins, or not use warps, or whatever.  The point is that those people found replay value in goals that some other people did not care about.

I myself played a ton of Street Fighter II (and Turbo) on the SNES to beat the game on 8 star difficulty with every character without losing a round.  Everyone else I knew thought that was a complete waste of time, but I did play the game a lot more than I would have because I set that goal for myself.  That definitely added a lot of replay value for me even though it didn't for any of my friends.

I guess I can sum this up by saying that your arguing against someone else's reasons for continuing to play a game because they are not your own is completely absurd and can only come from a position of ignorance.  Learn to appreciate things from other people's perspectives and you'll be better off for it.

EDIT:  I see a few other posts happened while I was writing this, I guess the point has already been made.